Driving mechanism for drying machines



Aug. 2, 1949. G. H. AMONSEN muvme MECHANISM FOR DRYING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 30, 1945 Inventor: G. H. Arno M Attorney.

Au gz, 1949.

G. H. AMON SEN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR DRYING MACHINES '4 Sheets-Sheet 2 z Ficj 2.

Filed Oct. 30, 1945 v Inventor- I G. H. Amonsgn. sWfl-W Attorney.

Aug. 2, 1949. G. H. AMONSEN DRIVING MECHANISM FOR DRYING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 50, 1945 Aug. 2, 1949. H a. H. AMONSENY DRIvIim MECHANISM FOR DRYING MACHINES Filed Oct. 30, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 9 W m n r 20 0 Wm WM 3 I EA 3+ a Mr i v V J 7 B M/vfl w u PM--- M 4/ J y MW v 1:

Patented Aug. 2,1949

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR DRYING MACHINES George H. Amonsen, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application October 30, 1945, Serial No. 625,659

4 Claims. (Cl. 74-220) The invention relates to clothes drying machines, and has for its object to provide a device of this type comprising a rotatable tumbler in which clothing is placed, and means for intermittently rotating said tumbler in opposite direc- ,tions and simultaneously passing heated air over and through the tumbler for facilitating the drying operation.

A further object is to provide a heating element above the tumbler casing and a suction fan below the tumbler casing for sucking the air over the heating element and passing the air through and over the tumbler for the drying operation.

A further objectis to provide an access closure to the tumbler chamber and lever means carried by said closure and cooperating with a fuel supply Valve to the heating element for cutting off or cutting down the supply of fuel to the heating element when the door is closed, and for increasing the supply of fuel to the heating element when the door is again closed after a clothes removing operation.

A further object is to supply means automatically controlled, in connection with the drier, for supplying hot water for general household pur- DOSES.

A further object is to provide a reversing gear for reversing direction of rotation of the tumbler, a belt drive in connection with said reversing gear, belt shifting means for the belt and to drive said reversing mechanism, suction fan and belt shifting means from a single source of power.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine, showing the closure in closed position and the drying element in operation.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the drier, parts being shown in section to show the heating elements.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 11, showing the shaft arrangement of the reversing gearing.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the drier taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1. I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the supporting means for the forward tumbler pintle.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the shaft of one of the rollers shown in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view through the reversing mechanism taken on line 88 of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a portion of the drier, looking at Figure 2 from the left.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the reversing mechanism.

Figure 11 is a horizontal sectional view through the reversing mechanism, taken on line il-H of Figure 2.

Figure 12 is a detail sectional View taken on line l2 l2 of Figure 1.

Figure 13 is a vertical longitudinal section through the expansion pulley.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates spaced supports, in which is clamped, by means of tie bolts 2, a stationary casing 3. Rotatably mounted within the chamber of the casing 3 is a perforated tumbler 4, which tumbler is intermittently rotated in opposite directions, while being subjected to the flow of hot air. One side of the tumbler is provided with a hollow extension 5, which rotates on rollers B, mounted on shafts 7 carried by the vertically adjustable bracket 8, which bracket is adjusted upwardly or downwardly by adjusting screws 9. This structure is shown in my prior patent and application.

Extending outwardly from the opposite side of the tumbler 4 is a shaft Ill, extending through a rock bearing II, and has secured to its outer end a sprocket l2, which sprocket is intermittently rotated in opposite directions by mechanism hereinafter set forth.

The upper side of the casing 3 is provided with an extension casing l3 having'therein heating elements l4 and I'll. These elements may be electric, however for purposes of illustration are shown as gas type, and supplied with gas from the supply pipe l6 through a manifold ll, and pipes I8 and I9. The pipe l8 leads to the heating element IQ for the drying operation, and has therein a valve 2|], of the plug type, preferably. Pipe l9 extends through a thermostatically controlled valve 2l to the upper heating element l5. Thermostatically controlled valve 2| is adapted to be automatically controlled from a water storage tank, which tank is supplied with water through the coil 22 above the heating element [5, and when the temperature rises above a predetermined degree the thermostatically controlled valve 2l will close, therefore it will be seen that hot water can be supplied as desired from the de vice. Pilots 23 are provided for the burners. The products of combustion from both burners pass through the outlet 24. During the operation of the device as a drier air is sucked downwardly through the flue 25, Figure 2, around the casing 26 of the heating element, and thence downwardly into the chamber of the casing 3 and into contact with the clothing being dried in the tumbler 4,

through perforations 21. This air is sucked downwardly by a suction fan 28 beneath the casing 3, through the pipe 29 and discharged through the pipe 30 at any suitable point.

Extending outwardly from one side of the supports I is a shelf 3|, on which shelf is pivotally mounted at 32 a drive motor 33. The drive motor 33, at its inner free edge has a link connection 34 with a pivoted lever 35, and which lever is held in various adjusted positions in a toothed bracket 36a, Figure 9. Motor 33 drives a split expansion pulley 34a, the sides of which move towards or away from each other, according to the adjustment of the motor, thereby varying the speed of rotation of the part driven by the belt 3. The belt 36 extends downwardly and drives the pulley 31 on the belt shifter shaft 38. Shaft 33 also has thereon a pulley 39, which pulley drives the belt -40, which extends over the pulley ii of the blower fan 28. Shaft 38 extends through and drives a wrist pin disc 42, the pin 43 of which extends into a cam slot 44 of an arm 45 carried by a reciprocatingrod 46 for belt shifting purposes. This belt shifting structure is shown in my previous patents and applications.

Mounted on the ends of the shaft 38 is a wide pulley 41 over which a belt 48 extends and which belt is shifted inwardly and outwardly by means of the rock lever 49 having a belt fork 59 on one end thereof and arching the belt. As shown, the belt 48 extends around the reversing gear pulley Figure 11, and is adapted to be intermittently shifted to and from the pulley 52. The operation of this reversing gear is as follows, it being understood that none of the shafting rotate and that the intermediate rollers 53 only rotate on their bearings for facilitating the belt shifting operation from one pulley 5| to the other pulley 52. When the belt is on the pulley 5| sprocket 54 will turn clockwise. As the belt 48 is shifted to pulley 52, the pulley 5i and sprocket 54 will travel counter-clockwise, thus reversing the travel of the tumbler. In this transmission none of the shafts revolve; only the gears revolve, thus gear 55 meshes with gear 56, and gear 56 also meshes with gear 51, and gear 5'! meshes with gear 53. When pulley 52 is being driven, gear 55 is the driver because it is keyed at 59 to the pulley 52, and when pulley 5| is being driven, gear 58 is the driver, because it is keyed to gear 58, thus the other gears are idlin when the pulley 5| is being driven by the belt 98. The rollers 53 simply replace a solid pulley, however they are supported in a bracket 60, attached at a fixed position to the machine.

The front end of the casing 3 is provided with a closure 0| so access can be had to the chamber of the tumbler for removing and replacing articles to be dried. Closure 6| is hingedly mounted at 92, and is provided with a rock lever 63, which rocks and longitudinally moves on a lug 64 which extends through an elongated slot 95 in the lever. The elongated slot is provided so the lever can be moved longitudinally during its pivotal action so that its outer .end 66 will be out of the path of the lower end of the push rod 61, there being a frictional bracket .68 for holding the lever in the position shown in Figure 1 for maintaining the push rod '61 in upper position against the action of the contractible spring 09, which spring is connected to the pivotal connection of the push rod to the valve lever ll, therefore it will be seen that when the lever 63 is moved in the direction of the arrow, shown in Figure 1, and pivoted on the pin 6|, the push rod 61 will be moved downwardly and the gas valve closed, or partially closed acording to the adjustment of the collar 12 on the push rod. When the closure is again closed and the lever pivoted upwardly under the bracket 68, the lever will engage the lower end of the push rod 61 and again open the valve 20 and supply fuel to theheating element 14.

From the above it will be seen that a drying machine is provided of the rotating reversible type, which is simple in construction, automatic as to supplying heat and one wherein all of the mechanism is driven from a single source of power at various speeds if desired.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. The combination with a drier having a rotatable tumbler for the reception of articles to be dried, of means for rotating and intermittently reversing the direction of rotation of the tumbler, said means comprising a sprocket carried by the tumbler, a reversing gear having a driving connection with the tumbler sprocket, said reversing gear comprising spaced pulleys, gear means whereby the tumbler will be rotated in one direction when one of the pulleys is driven and in the other direction when the other pulley is driven, a drive motor, a driven pulley, an endless belt extending over the driven pulley and one of the first mentioned pulleys and a belt shifting mechanism driven by the motor for shifting. the belt from one or the other of the reversing pulleys.

2. A device as set forth in claiml wherein said spaced pulleys are rotatably mounted on a nonrotatable shaft, a stationary bracket between said pulleys, a gear train connection between the pulleys and within the bracket, one of said pulleys forming the tumbler drive.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spaced pulleys are rotatably mounted on a nonrotatable shaft, a supporting bracket between said pulleys, a gear train drive connection between the pulleys within the bracket and in constant mesh, one of said pulleys forming the tumbler drive.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the spaced pulleys are rotatably mounted on a nonrotatable shaft, a bracket interposed between the pulleys, a constant gear train drive between the pulleys and within the bracket for reversing the direction of drive of the tumbler and intermediate belt rollers earried by the bracket for facilitating the shifting of the belt from one pulley to the other.

GEORGE H. AMONSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ,inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,607,841 Nelson Nov. 23, 1926 2,108,084 Strobridge Feb. 15, 1938 2,142,042 Bowdoin et al. Dec. 27, 1938 2,314,415 Morella Mar. 23, 1943 2,360,915 Vermilya Oct. 24, 1944 2,397,091 Davis Mar. 26, 1946 

